Perforated top reclosable carton



Jan. 30, 1968 w. o. SIMPSON ET AL 3,366,311

PERFORTED TOP RECLOSBLE CARTON 2 Sheets-Shee'f, l

Filed Feb. 23, 1967 Jan. 30, 1968 w. o. SIMPSON ET Al- 3,366,311

PERFORATED TOP RECLOSABLE CARTON Filed Feb. 23, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2United States Patent O 3,366,311 PERFORATED TOP RECLOSABLE CARTON WarrenO. Simpson and Charles H. Bridges, Battle Creek, Mich., assiguors toKellogg Company, Battle Creek, Mich., a corporation of Delaware FiledFeb. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 618,082 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) ABSTRACT F THEDISCLOSURE A paperboard carton characterized by a top closure fiapformed with a line of perforations defining medially a tongue or tucktab with further lines of perforation extending obliquely from the rootof said tongue, to the side edges of the closure fiap, the tongue beingadapted for engagement with a complementary slot in the lower closure apfor reclosing of the carton after it has once been opened. Thepaperboard in the line of perforations or between the perforations isadapted to rupture very easily at two places indicated for pressure tobe applied adacent the root of the tongue, the line of perforationsoutwardly of said tongue being relatively resistant to rupture. One sideof the perforated line is stiffer than the other side on the uppermostclosure fiap due to two thicknesses of paperboard adhesively securedtogether in the a-rea defined by the line of perforations and the freeedge of the ap in which the perforations are formed.

The present invention relates to easy opening reclosable carton formedfrom a paperboard blank cut, scored and perforated to define arectangular carton having side walls and top and bottom closure flapshinged thereat. The top closure aps comprise an opposed pair of spaceddust fiaps and an opposed interengageable closure fiaps in partial oroverlying relationship to each other which are sequentially folded andsecured over the dust aps. The lowermost one of the interengageableclosure fiaps is medially formed with a tucking slot adapted to receivea tongue or tuck tab from the uppermost of the interengageable closureflaps for reclosing purposes after the carton has once been opened.

The uppermost closure fiap is formed with a line of perforations orspaced incision lines defining said tongue and further perforation linesextending from the root of the tongue at an incline to the side edges ofsaid top closure flap. The perforations or lines of incision definingthe tongue, and particularly at the junction of the tongue with theaforesaid lines of perforation extending therefrom to the side edges ofthe liap, are constructed and arranged so as to enable the perforatedline to be ruptured relatively easy at the area of the tongue, theremaining line of perforations being relatively resistant to rupture.However, the rupturing is facilitated by providing markings or indicateddots on opposed sides of the tongue adacent its root whereat the linesof perforation are relatively easy to rupture and after such rupturingone may insert a finger in the ruptured area and move the fingersoutwardly toward the side edges of the flap to completely rupture theline of perforations, whereupon a portion of the upper fiap with theintegral tongue may be lifted on its hinge line and the remainingportion of the tab remains adhered to the lower interengageable closurefiap, the latter fiap being formed with a slot adapted to receive theaforesaid tongue for reclosing purposes.

The configuration of the indicated perforations which will behereinafter more fully described, combines ease of opening of thecartons with sufficient strength to withstand the rigors of packaging,handling and abuse.

Moreover, the present invention permits economy of 3,36 6,31 1 PatentedJan. 30, 1968 ice materials by permitting the use of closure flaps whichare lesser in dimension than the carton in a direction normal to thehinge line of the closure fiaps, i.e., which do not extend completelyover the carton top, although they are of sufficient length to overlapand to provide a reinforced or double thickness on one side of thedescribed line of perforations. This stiffcned portion of doublethickness, due to resultant increased stiffness, distributes appliedpressure over a wider area causing a larger rupture with decreasedpossibility of tearing the closure flaps elsewhere than desired.

The objects and advantages of the present invention` its details ofconstruction, arrangement of parts and economies thereof, will furtherbe apparent from a consideration of the following specification andaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of a blank showing the upper portion of the cartonof the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the carton of thepresent invention before the top closure fiaps have been laid down.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but is progressive thereto, showingthe dust flaps closed down and one of the top interengageable closureflaps closed down and one remaining open.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of the closed carton topof the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the top of the carton of the presentinvention, illustrating the method of initially rupturing the line ofperforations.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the top of the carton progressive tothat of FIG. 5, showing in dotted lines the movement of the finger inprogressively opening the line of perforations.

FIG. 7 is a view progressive to that of FIG. 6 showr ing in perspectivethe uppermost closure fiap separated from the immediately adacent lowerclosure flap.

FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the carton top progressive to thatof FIG. 7, showing the carton reclOsed after once having been opened byinserting the tongue of the uppermost closure fiap in the companion slitor slot of the lower adacent closure flap.

Referring to the drawings the panels 10 and 11 define carton side walls,the panel 10 being hinged at 12 to the end panel 13 and at 14- to theopposed end panel 15. The panel 11 is hinged at 16 to the end panel 15and at 17 to the side tab 18 which is adhesively secured to the panel 13to form a rectangular carton. To the panel 13 there is secured a dust ap19 on the scored hinge line 20. An opposed dust fiap 21 is hinged to thepanel 15 on the score line 22. To the wall 10, there is hinged on line23 a fiap 24 which comprises the lower one of a pair of interengageableclosure fiaps, this flap 24 being formed medially with a slit or tucktab slot 25 adapted to receive the tuck tab or tongue 26 formed on theuppermost interengageable closure fiap 27 which is hinged to the wall 11on the score line 28.

The slit 25 for receiving the tuck tab may actually be formed ofinterrupted slits, perforations or incisions .which can readily besevered so as to form a depressible tab aided by the continuation of theseal at the inturned lines of incision 29, 29.

The tongue 26 is likewise defined by interrupted lines of severance,perforations or incisions which can be readily broken by pressure,particularly by reason of their character and formation. Thus, the lineof perforations defining the tongue 26 and particularly its root arerelatively long with small interrupted areas as at 30 where it will benoted that the angle between the tongue and the line of perforations 31extending therefrom is formed of a single angular incision. The line ofperforations 31 which extend at an incline towards the hinge line 28 arerelatively shorter with larger uncut spaces between them,

making this line of perforations or incisions 31 relativelyl lessrupturable than the lines of incision defining the tongue 26 per se.

For ease in rupturing the line of perforations 311-31 extending acrossthe top closure flap 27, the flap 27 is provided with markings 34, 34adjacent the root of the tongue 26 and with a suitable legend such asPress dots to open for initiating rupture.

Thus, after the blank shown in FIG. 1 is squared up by adhesivelysealing the side tab 18 to the carton end wall 13, and the bottom aps,not shown, closed in conventional manner, and after a suitable materialis deposited in the carton such as a liner bag containing toastedcereals, the spaced dust aps 19, 21 are turned down, following which theclosure flap 24 is adhered to these dust flaps at adhesive areas such as35, 35 limited by applying hold-out ink in conventional manner to theremaining portion of the tab. This permits the flap 24 to be lifted fromthe dust flaps 19, 21 by placing a linger under the flap 24 andrupturing the small amount of adhesive which holds the dust flaps andthe flap 24 together.

Although the tuck tab 26 extends adjacent the free edge 35 of flap 27,the tuck tab slot or slit lies well inwardly of the free edge 37 ofclosure iiap 24 and is spaced freely from the dust flaps.

Thus, after the flap 24 is sealed down against the dust aps 19 and 21,the top closure flap 27 is sealed down against the flap 24 in arestricted area, namely in that area between the score line defined bythe portions 30, 31 and the free or outer edge 36 of the tab 27 by meansof the adhesive area 38, the adhesive area 38 again being applied to theinner face of the flap 27 in a manner restricted by ink hold-out areawhich prevents adhesion of undesired portions. Thus, initially as formedthe top closure ap 27 remains securely adhesively sealed to the ap 24 bymeans of adhesive applied between the scoreV line dened by the portions30, 31 and the free edge 36 of ilap 27.

For the purpose of initially opening the closed carton, one manuallypresses the flap 27 at the indicated dots 34, 34 which causes initialrupture of the lines of perforation defining the tongue 26 and permitsinsertion of ones linger as shown by the dotted lines 39 in FIG. 5 andthen by progressively moving the finger towards the edges 33 of ap 27,the liap 27 becomes separated on the lines of perforation 30 and 31 fromthe remaining sealeddown portion 27. As previously indicated, the areaof one side of the perforated line defined by the perforations 30, 31 isstiffer than the other side, this being due to the two thicknesses ofpaperboard glued together at one side, namely the top closure ap portion27 which is adhered to the llap 24. Due to this increased stiffness themanual pressure applied is distributed across a wider area, causing alarger rupture with a decreased possibility of tearing the ap elsewhere.For example, if the indicated pressure points 34 were located on thesingle thickness area of flap 27, the pressure would not be distributedbut localized at a point and the possibility of poking a hole throughthe ap 27 rather than just rupturing the perforations 30, 31 would begreatly increased.

After separating the flap 27 on its lines of perforation 30, 31, theflap 24 can be separated from the dust aps 19 and 21 by breaking theadhesive areas 36 to permit access to the carton contents.

For reclosing the carton, it is merely necessary to fold down the dustaps '19 and 21, fold^the ap 24 thereover, and then insert the tongue ortuck tab 26 in the slot 25, whereupon it forms a serviceable reclosure.By reason of the construction and arrangement of the present invention,the tuck tab 26 is relatively long or desirably so, so that it can beinserted and withdrawn from the slot 25 a reasonable number of timesconsistent with the use of the contents of the carton, and permitsgreater box deformation before the reclosure feature becomesinoperative.

Overall, the configuration of the single or continuous line ofperforations 30, 31 combines ease of opening with suicient strength towithstand the rigors of packaging, handling and abuse, and a compacteconomical construction of desired reclosable character.

We claim:

1. A rectangular paperboard carton comprising side walls and top flapshinged thereto, said top aps comprising an opposed pair of dust flapsand an opposed pair of interengageable closure flaps in but partialoverlying relationship to each other and sequentially folded and securedover said dust aps, the lowermost one of said closure aps being mediallyformed with a slot parallel to its line of hinge with a side wall andadapted to receive a tongue from the uppermost one of said closureflaps, the latter ap being formed with perforation lines defining atongue having its terminal edge disposed within the ap on a lineparallel to the flap hinge line and its side edges diverging therefromtowards the Hap hinge line and engageable within the aforesaid slot,said uppermost Hap being further formed with opposed perforation linesextending from the root of said tongue and obliquely therefrom in adirection towards but spaced from said hinge line and to the side edgesof said uppermost ap wherein the line of perforations adjacent the rootof the tongue are adapted to rupture more readily than the perforatedportions extending laterally therefrom.

2. The carton of claim 1 wherein the dust aps are spaced from each otherand said slit, wherein the lowermost of said closure flaps is adhesivelysecured to said dust flaps, and said uppermost ap is adhesively securedto said lowermost flap only in an area between its said lines ofperforation and its free edge opposed to its hinge line.

3. The carton of claim 2, wherein the uppermost flap is marked withareas adjacent to and outwardly of the root of the tongue adapted to bemanually depressed to thereby facilitate rupture of the lines ofperforation.

4. The carton of claim 3, wherein the marked areas on the uppermost apoverlie the underrnost ap and are reinforced thereby.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,980,851 11/1934 Crawford 229-513,263,899 8/1966 Collura et al. 229-51 3,270,946 9/ 1966 Redpath et al.229-51 3,281,052 10/1966 Michels 229-51 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, PrimaryExaminer.

l' R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

